Monday, 16 January 2012

Beneath the Black Water - Jon Berry

I was looking for some reading over the closed season and was reminded of a book I had seen in the summer titled Beneath the Black Water.

I think what caught my attention regarding this book was the rider that said " The search for an ancient Fish " together with the cover photograph which was to my mind obviously taken in Scotland.

On having a flick through the book during the summer, my suspicions were confirmed and I had stumbled upon a book by an author who's passion was ferox trout. Jon's passion or obsession seems to have been fired in much the same way as many a ferox angler. The stories of ancient ugly " cannibal " trout and the stuffed fish you find in the glass display boxes of northern hotels which most certainly bely this myth.

This book for me was more than a simple angling tome which can oft be devoid of human interest concentrating far too much on the piscatory of fishing. The book I felt was more a story of a journey both personal and piscatorial and you definately get a feel for the man behind the angler as well as being placed firmly on the bank or in the boat as the case may be.

Perhaps this may not be a book for purist fly anglers as the modus operandii in the pursuit salmo ferox is more often than not trolling but then again, maybe it is, as it's pretty good read which should appeal to those anglers who simply enjoy a good old fashioned fishing yarn.